1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a dental system for cleaning and disinfecting teeth and marginal gingiva, and a method of producing the same.
2. Related Background Art
Conventional methods of cleaning and disinfecting teeth and marginal gingiva involve brushing teeth and gingiva using a toothbrush with dentifrice having cleaning and sterilizing effects. Recently, electric toothbrushes have been developed that apply vibration to teeth and gingiva for cleaning and gingival massage. Use of the electric toothbrush only requires holding the electric toothbrush with one hand and shifting it to change the position of bristle tips against the teeth, causing less hand fatigue than manual toothbrushing.
The use of the electric toothbrush, however, can undesirably stimulate the vomiting reflex when brushing the tong side (backside) of teeth. This causes users to have an aversion to toothbrushing or fail in proper toothbrushing, which could lead to dental caries, gingivitis, or alveolar pyorrhea. Besides, when using the electric toothbrush for those who are bedridden or have handicap with hand, it is difficult to place the bristle tips of the brush in a suitable position and brush every tooth.
Further, when a caregiver brushes the teeth of a carereceiver, placing a toothbrush against a target back tooth is difficult. It is thus likely to push the brush against the marginal gingiva so hard that it bleeds. Furthermore, the bristle tips of the brush are hard to reach the tong side (backside) of teeth because of a tong being obstacle. Food debris is thus likely to be deposited on the teeth, causing dental caries, gingivitis, or alveolar pyorrhea.
As a solution to the above problems, alternative toothbrushing techniques without the use of the electric toothbrush have been proposed. Among those is a technique that squirts a stream of water or disinfectant out of a nozzle into a mouth, thereby cleaning teeth and marginal gingiva. This technique of shooting water or a drug solution such as gargle at teeth and marginal gingiva, however, forces users to bear the unpleasant flavor of the drug solution. Further, the drug solution may leak from the mouth or enter into the airway, inducing misswallowing.
Another technique uses a mouthpiece made to fit on the teeth. This technique applies a drug agent to the inner surface of a mouthpiece and places the mouthpiece in an oral cavity to disinfect teeth and marginal gingiva. This technique, however, has a disinfection effect only and not removes deposits on the teeth and marginal gingiva; consequently, it only achieves a reduced sterilizing effect. Further, the drug solution leaking out of the mouthpiece touches a tongue, forcing users to bear an unpleasant flavor. In addition, when detaching the mouthpiece, considerable drug solution touches the tongue to bring an unpleasant flavor.
An example of oral cavity cleaning instruments for the cleaning of oral cavity, especially teeth and marginal gingiva, is disclosed in Japanese UtilityModel Application Laid-Open No. H06-64522. It describes a dental and oral cleaning system that cleans teeth with a cleaning solution flowing in a mouthpiece. This system leaves gaps between the mouthpiece and marginal gingiva, and hence the cleaning solution leaks into the oral cavity, forcing users to bear an unpleasant flavor. Another example is a mouthpiece-shaped oral cavity cleaning appliance disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2002-45378. It also has the problem that a drug solution leaks into an oral cavity during cleaning, causing users discomfort.
As described in the foregoing, conventional cleaning instruments fail to offer comfortable cleaning of teeth and marginal gingiva since a drug solution contacts the entire mucosa of an oral cavity.